Light-emitting diodes with buffer layers

Abstract

A semiconductor wafer includes a substrate (1), a buffer layer (2) deposited on the substrate (1), and an epitaxial layer (4) above the buffer layer (2). The buffer layer (2) includes a plurality of semiconductor material layers (22) and a plurality of oxygen-doped material layers (21). The semiconductor material layers (22) and the oxygen-doped material layers (21) are deposited in an alternating arrangement on top of each other. Oxygen concentrations of the oxygen-doped material layers (21) gradually decrease along a direction from the substrate (1) to the epitaxial layer (4).

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A semiconductor wafer, comprising:
 a substrate; 
 a buffer layer deposited on the substrate, the buffer layer including a plurality of semiconductor material layers and a plurality of oxygen-doped material layers, the semiconductor material layers and the oxygen-doped material layers deposited in an alternating arrangement on top of each other, wherein the buffer layer releases a stress between the buffer layer and the substrate, the plurality of oxygen-doped material layers include a last oxygen-doped material layer, and a thickness of the last oxygen-doped material layer is no greater than the thickness of the semiconductor material layers; and 
 an epitaxial layer above the buffer layer, wherein the last oxygen-doped material layer is in direct contact with the epitaxial layer, and wherein an oxygen concentration of each oxygen-doped material layer of the plurality of oxygen-doped material layers gradually decreases along a direction from the substrate to the epitaxial layer. 
 
     
     
       2. The semiconductor wafer of  claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor material layers include aluminum nitride (AlN) layers, and the oxygen-doped material layers include oxygen-doped AlN layers. 
     
     
       3. The semiconductor wafer of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate includes aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), and the epitaxial layer includes gallium nitride (GaN). 
     
     
       4. The semiconductor wafer of  claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer includes a first oxygen-doped material layer among the plurality of oxygen-doped material layers, the first oxygen doped material layer is in direct contact with the substrate. 
     
     
       5. The semiconductor wafer of  claim 1 , wherein the epitaxial layer further comprises an unintentionally doped epitaxial layer and the unintentionally doped epitaxial layer is in direct contact with the last oxygen-doped material layer. 
     
     
       6. The semiconductor wafer of  claim 1 , wherein oxygen concentrations of the oxygen-doped material layers gradually decrease along a direction from the substrate to the epitaxial layer, such that a lattice constant of a first oxygen-doped material layer in direct contact with the substrate substantially matches a lattice constant of the substrate, and that a lattice constant of a last oxygen-doped material layer in direct contact with the epitaxial layer substantially matches a lattice constant of the epitaxial layer. 
     
     
       7. The semiconductor wafer of  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the semiconductor material layers is greater than a thickness of the oxygen-doped semiconductor material layers. 
     
     
       8. The semiconductor wafer of  claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer including a plurality of deposition cycles, each deposition cycle except a last deposition cycle includes one of the semiconductor material layers and one of the oxygen-doped material layers, and a thickness of each deposition cycle except a last deposition cycle is from about 4 nanometers (nm) to about 10 nm. 
     
     
       9. A light-emitting diode (LED) chip, comprising:
 a sapphire substrate; 
 a buffer layer deposited on the sapphire substrate, the buffer layer including a plurality of aluminum nitride (AlN) layers and a plurality of oxygen-containing AlN layers, the AlN layers and the oxygen-containing AlN layers deposited in an alternating arrangement on top of each other, wherein the buffer layer releases a stress between the buffer layer and the sapphire substrate, the plurality of oxygen-containing AlN layers include a last oxygen-containing AlN layer, and a thickness of the last oxygen-containing AlN layer is no greater than the thickness of the AlN layers; and 
 an epitaxial layer including gallium nitride (GaN) above the buffer layer, wherein the last oxygen-containing AlN layer is in direct contact with the epitaxial layer, and wherein an oxygen concentration of each oxygen-containing AlN layer of the plurality of oxygen-containing AlN layers gradually decreases along a direction from the substrate to the epitaxial layer. 
 
     
     
       10. The LED chip of  claim 9 , wherein the buffer layer includes a first oxygen-containing AlN layer among the plurality of oxygen-containing AlN layers, and the first oxygen-containing AlN layer is in direct contact with the sapphire substrate.